Man City agree fee in excess of £51m to sign Benjamin Mendy

Manchester City have agreed a fee worth more than £51m to sign Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy, Sky Sports News understands.

The 23-year-old France international is set to surpass the £50m-plus deal made for Tottenham’s Kyle Walker and become the Premier League’s most expensive defender to date.

Mendy is preparing to fly out to Los Angeles to join up with City’s pre-season tour of the US. They face Real Madrid in LA in four days’ time.

City have been determined to sign him since the beginning of the transfer window, when Sky Sports News revealed he was a target for them, their rivals Manchester United and champions Chelsea.

City had a £44.5m offer rejected earlier this week by Monaco, who valued him at more than Walker.

And Mendy subsequently hinted at a move to England when he posted an Instagram picture of himself in Union Jack shorts, accompanied by the caption: “See you soon.”

Mendy, who has spent just a single season at Monaco following a £13m move from Marseille last summer, has emerged as one of the best left-backs in the game within the last 12 months, and one of a number of Monaco players of interest to other clubs following their French Ligue 1 triumph.

City, who have already signed Bernardo Silva from Monaco and are interested in their highly-coveted striker Kylian Mbappe, are in the market for a left-back following Gael Clichy’s departure, although another imminent new £26.5m signing Danilo has played there for Real Madrid.